KARACHI, May 25: A large number of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), leaders and workers attended the Soyem of the party’s Sindh vice-president Tariq Khan at his residence in Federal B’ Area on Sunday.
Acting PML-N Sindh President Salim Zia, Pir Sabir Shah, Sher Azam Khan, Haji Mannan and Capt (retd) Safdar Shah were among the prominent figures at the ceremony.
Talking to media, later, they condemned Tariq Khan’s murder and appealed to the prime minister and the Sindh chief minister to ensure early arrest of the killers and those behind this act of terrorism.
“The assassination is the continuation of the May 12 and April 9 incidents,” they remarked, adding that the anti-democracy forces had actually not accepted the change brought about the recent general election and were out to derail the process of democracy.
They observed that Tariq Khan was in the forefront of the party’s resistance against pro-dictatorship forces in Karachi and his valiant struggle earned him the martyrdom.
They reaffirmed their party’s resolve to continue the struggle against dictatorship.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah arrived in the city from Islamabad on Sunday and drove straight to the residence of Tariq Khan to offer his condolences to the bereaved family.
On the occasion, he told newsmen that assassins of the PML-N leader would not go unpunished. “They will be arrested soon and awarded exemplary punishment,” he added.
He said no one was above the law, adding that he had already directed the IG Sindh to ensure the arrest the killers at the earliest.
He pointed out that three committees each one led by a senior DIG had been constituted to conduct the investigation into the assassination. They would submit their interim report with in a week, he said.
Mr Shah paid rich tributes to the services of Tariq Khan towards the country’s march to democracy and termed his assassination a great tragedy.
The chief minister was accompanied by provincial ministers Ali Nawaz Shah, Ayaz Soomro, Zahid Ali Bhurgari, besides his adviser Rashid Rabbani and special assistant Waqar Mehdi.